Past Issues 1988 - Present

by City of Toronto Councillor Michael Thompson, Chairman of the Economic Development Committee
Sydney, Nova Scotia – September 2016 – At the Association of Municipal Administrators (Nova Scotia) in Wolfville, senior municipal leaders from Nova Scotia explored opportunities to innovate in challenging fiscal times.  City of Toronto Councillor Michael Thompson, Chairman of the Economic Development Committee, presented the importance of arts and culture...
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By Robert Bell
“Wisely or not,” according to the United Nations, “Homo sapiens has become Homo urbanus.”  The UN projects that by 2050, more than 70 percent of humanity will live in cities as the global population exceeds nine billion. 
            Many leading thinkers find this a cause for celebration, among them Richard Florida of the University of Toronto, who currently has the...
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Here’s a question you might like to toss around the table the next time your economic development department is planning a creative economy marketing program or event: What makes creative people in your community happy?
It’s a simple question but the answers can be quite complex and far-reaching. Economists have begun to use research into happiness to explore questions in economics, policy and management.
The Martin Prosperity Institute, in a research paper...
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Destination marketing organizations all over North America are using social media as their creative playground and are doing some amazing things! Have you been to the YouTube site for the Pure Michigan campaign? The videos make you want to drop everything, put aside all of your daily pressures and go dog sledding or canoeing or skiing, or just sit and watch the sunrise. If you want to take a journey of discovery into social tourism marketing, as the slogan says, "Your trip...
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Travel has become more demanding than ever, especially air travel with its security lineups and hassles, and people are time-starved.  Add the effects of the recent recession and the bottom-line result is discouraging for destination marketing organizations – at least for long-distance travel. 
The Hotel Association of Canada projects that hotel occupancy levels will be only 59% this year, up slightly from 58% in 2009.  In the United States, after averaging...
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